By Mandy Moraes, NLPS staff
For Grade 6 student Milo Worden at École Quarterway Elementary, track and field began with a simple spark of inspiration. After watching sprint legend Usain Bolt on television, Milo thought running looked fun, and he decided to give it a try.
That curiosity quickly turned into a passion. Milo loves racing his friends and challenging himself to improve. His favourite event is the 100-metre dash. “I like to run fast in short distances,” he says.
Last summer, Milo achieved something remarkable. In his very first long jump competition, he leapt 4.25 metres and set a record, winning gold at the 2025 JD BC Track and Field Championship in Langley.
“The competition was really good, and it pushed me to jump farther than I thought I could,” Milo recalls. He remembers hearing the official announce his winning distance just after his closest competitor had jumped.
“I didn’t think I would win the gold because I never competed in the long jump before.”
Since then, Milo has continued to shine. He was named the Nanaimo Track and Field Club’s Outstanding U13 Male Athlete and received the 2025 JD Gold Crest Achievement Award from BC Athletics. He says these honours make him proud and motivate him to keep working hard.
“It takes a lot of hard work and focus to get to this level.”
Even with his success, Milo still feels nervous at the start line.
“My legs start shaking,” he admits. Before each event, he follows a simple ritual of jumping up and down as high as he can to get ready.
Track has taught Milo more than just speed and strength. He has learned breathing techniques, conditioning and sportsmanship. Those skills have helped him in other sports and everyday life.
Although training can be tough, especially in the heat, he believes that hard work leads to improvement.
